Nancy Pelosi acknowledges Iran’s rural support, urges more sanctions so they ‘feel the pain as well’

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for intensified economic pressure on Iran, arguing that sanctions should be used to “cripple their economy” in order to undermine rural support for the government.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, Pelosi said Washington should pursue “economic forces” as a means of bringing about “regime change” in Iran without resorting to military action.

“Just weaken their economy… because they do have support in the rural areas… We have to make them feel the pain as well,” Pelosi said, revealing what observers described as the true intention of sanctions.

Asked whether there is a way to bring about a “regime fall” in Iran without direct US military involvement, she replied, “Use economic forces. There are ways that can cripple their economy. And some of those have been in the works.”

The remarks drew a sharp rebuke online. Political commentator Trita Parsi rejected any suggestion that the comments were a “slip of the tongue,” arguing that they reflected the longstanding logic behind US sanctions policy.

In a post on his X account, Parsi said policymakers typically deny that the purpose of sanctions is to devastate the civilian population or “cripple” the economy, and dismiss claims that such measures fuel poverty and restrict access to medicine.

However, he contended that when protests erupt and a target government appears vulnerable, the narrative shifts. At that point, he said, proponents of sanctions move to credit the economic pressure for the resulting hardship and collective punishment, portraying it as instrumental in bringing about “regime change.”

Parsi characterized this as a political “jujitsu” maneuver, in which the human costs of sanctions are first downplayed and later invoked as proof of their effectiveness.

Journalist Aaron Maté pointed out that Pelosi hopes for “regime change” in Iran not via military force, but by trying to “cripple their economy.”

“A key target are ordinary Iranians who support their government,” he wrote on X. “What gives a politician in one country the right to make civilians in another country feel ‘pain?’”

Iranian officials have long denounced US sanctions as collective punishment targeting ordinary civilians. US officials have, meanwhile, occasionally admitted that the sanctions are intended to harm the population to stir unrest in the country.

Last month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent openly acknowledged the role of US sanctions in destabilizing Iran’s economy and fueling public unrest.

“It’s worked because in December, their economy collapsed. We saw a major bank go under. The central bank has started to print money. There is a dollar shortage. They are not able to get imports, and this is why the people took to the streets,” Bessent said during the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 20.

Back in November 2018, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo threatened to starve the Iranian people with sanctions.

Iranian officials must listen to the US “if they want their people to eat,” he said in remarks after the US unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement and reinstated illegal sanctions on the country.

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